The format was the following: each winemaker had 5 minutes to pour 1 wine, talk about the wine and answer any questions the bloggers at the table had, then 1 minute to move to the next table to repeat the process 16 times! The format was a bit rushed but it made me focus on the important elements of the wine and the Lionheart brand. It was effective at helping to get out the brand name and raise awareness of our wines. Clearly, wine bloggers influence is on the rise as they reach more and more people everyday! Maybe next year, this winemaker will be a blogger at the conference as well reporting on some lovely wines.

The Live Blogging event was a very good experience and looking forward to doing it again next year. I would suggest a couple of things to the organizers for next year: 1) Give a bit more time for tasting, questions, etc; 2) Try to spread out the table in two rooms to help keep the noise level down as I nearly lost my voice having to shout for one and half hours to get anyone to hear me, 3) It might be a bit easier on the bloggers palates to start with whites in a staggered start, 4) cheese and/or bread should be provided to the bloggers to help clear their palates, 5) two glasses — one for white and one for red, and 6) allow time for bloggers to follow up and meet with the wineries before the next event on the schedule.

We got some fantastic comments/blog entries for people that tried the Roussanne. The comments will be posted below with links to the appropriate blog entries:

Lionheart Wines 07 McGinley Vineyard Rousanne (wow… really?). There going for overall balance (my kind of winemakers! . Stirred on the lees in nuetral French oak barrels. The nose is OFF THE CHART! Kiwi, tropical fruits, and flowers all over the place. Totally killer.

2007 Lionheart McGinley Vinyeard Rousanne ($33) from Santa BarbaraCounty. Nose - Key Lime pie, honey with hints of orange zest Taste – nice minerality and apple with citrus and tropical tree fruit. This is a great wine, a bit pricey, although if you get the club price it is $23. Wow the winemaker just said they are only prodcuing 275 cases of wine.

Wine #9 – A Roussane 2007 McGinley Vineyards from Lionheart Wines. Not usually a fan, but this is nice. Bright apple and pear. Kiss of oak. First verture with wine. $30 retail. 275 cases total of everything. Wow! Their website is www.lionheartwines.com.

Lionheart Wines – what do we have here? A Roussane. I’ve never had a Roussane. It’s light and airy, not a wine that I would necessarily choose off a list of shelf. Think a hot day on the deck – nice and refreshing. It’s an old world grape – made in somewhat the old world style.- old world, not what you’d expect here in California. trpoical fruit, smooth without being flat, and has enough acidity to pair with foods – this would be great with

Lionheart Wines 2007 Roussanne
lemon curd and pineapple on the nose, some viscosity in the mouth, full bodied, ripe apricots in the mouth, light golden color, creamy with a good acid on the finish. $30

kevingerl: On lies for 10 months in neutral french oak with ml fermentation. Recco with grilled fish/pork or Hawaiian pizza. Salt from ham works well with the wine. This is nice tart without a lot of acid. I think it’s a drink soon but overall :->

2007 McGinley Vineyard Roussanne from Santa BarbaraCounty, clocking in at 14,47% alcohol. Nice peachy, exotic aromas, with a touch of almonds. Nice mouthful, with decent acidity holding it together well. Little bitterness on the back end – from the maceration on the skins, says the winemaker. I like it. 10 months in French Oak. I’ve found many California Roussannes to go overboard, but this holds itself together well, and I think it could even age for a few years, like the best from the Rhône. Well-done.

2007 Lionheart Wines McGinley Vineyards Rousanne ($30). Winemaker is a self-taught chef and winemaker. I would absolutely mistake this for a Viognier in a blind tasting (asssuming I was even close that day!) The floral notes on the nose are more indicative of the Rousanne, but the fruit notes are very much like Viognier. The palate is well banaced, but is a little light on acid. The finish is a bit flat without the crisp acids.

*Lionheart Wines 100% Rousanne – Tropical fruit – pineapple, good acidity, light handed oak, on lees for 10 months. Best pairing according to the winery is hawaiian pizza. I would tend to agree. The flavors match with the pineapple and the acidity is strong enough to be cleansing to the palate. $30

Lionheart Wines Leon C. Glover, owner/winemaker is sharing his 2007 Roussanne from Santa BarbaraCounty. If you like hawaiian style pizza, Glover said, “it sounds kind of stange, but it’s really a good match.” You can purchase the wine, which retails for $30, on-line at www.lionheartwines.com.

Lionheart Wine 2007 – This is a 100% Roussane with lots of varietal character – grilled pineapple, melon, and a little apple in the nose. In the mouth, this is a full bodied wine. Twenty months on the lees give this Rhone style wine an added level of complexity. It seems a little overdone, but we liked it anyway. ($30)

Long break for some reason there. Now we have lioneart wines with a 2007 Roussanne from Santa BarbaraCounty. This has a nice balance between fruit and spice. I get some nutmeg here. The fruit is pretty tropical here, pineapple and stuff like that. I can’t really write anymore about this. They’re saying this is the last wine and I’m thankful.

I totally agree with points 3,5, and 6. I think that things got a bit mixed up and that’s why reds came after the whites but 2 glasses is a good idea and crackers would be excellent. And having an informal session afterwards with the winemakers would always be appreciated.